Quebec Liberal leader Pablo Rodriguez resigns from post

Quebec Liberal Leader Pablo Rodriguez is expected to resign after a series of controversies, just months after being chosen as the party’s leader.

Embattled Quebec Liberal leader Pablo Rodriguez officially resigned his post on Wednesday afternoon.

Rodriguez never sat a day in the National Assembly. He announced his resignation during a virtual caucus meeting.

Le Devoir first reported that the former federal cabinet minister lost the confidence of his caucus after a series of controversies that began with the dismissal of former Liberal parliamentary leader Marwah Rizqy.

In the weeks that followed, Rodriguez had to answer questions about alleged cash-for-votes in his leadership campaign.

Quebec’s anti-corruption squad (UPAC) opened a criminal investigation into the Quebec Liberal Party on Dec. 10.

On Tuesday, Le Journal de Montréal reported that around 20 donors were reimbursed their $500 contributions at a fundraiser, which is illegal under the Election Act.

Rodriguez has insisted he did nothing wrong and that he wants the truth to be revealed.

Rizqy, for her part, said on Wednesday that she has no intention of running for leadership. She had previously said she would not run in next year’s election.

“I would like to strongly reiterate that I did not have this intention, that I do not have it today, and that I will not have it in the coming weeks and/or months,” she wrote on Facebook.

Former Roberval MNA Karl Blackburn ran against Rodriguez for the Liberal leadership and declined to make a statement when contacted by CTV News.

Fellow leadership candidate Charles Milliard, who placed second (48 per cent) in the race, called Rodriguez’s decision “courageous” and “in the best interest of the party.”

“I have a sincere thought for him and for his loved ones, who have been exposed these past few weeks to the darkest side of public engagement. There is still, I hope, a place for kindness in politics,” Milliard wrote on X.

He said he will wait “to learn of the party leadership’s choices” before making his own decision.

“Today, one thing is certain: the time for major changes has come,” said Milliard. “The renewal of the PLQ is necessary, unavoidable, and urgent. Quebec women and Quebec men are watching us.”

• READ MORE: Five things to know about the crisis that could unseat the Quebec Liberal leader

Rodriguez was elected leader in June with 52 per cent of the vote to succeed former leader Dominique Anglade, who stepped down in November 2022 after the provincial election, where the Liberals suffered the party’s worst defeat in its history.

- With files from The Canadian Press